Services

Left-handed foetus linked to maternal stress

FOETUSES are more likely to show left-handed movements in the womb when their mothers are stressed, according to a new study.

Researchers at Durham and Lancaster universities say their findings are an indicator that maternal stress could have a temporary effect on unborn babies, adding that their research highlights the importance of reducing stress during pregnancy.

However, the researchers emphasised that their study was not evidence that maternal stress led to fixed left-handedness in infants after birth.

Loading article content

They said that some people might be genetically predisposed to being left-handed and that there are examples where right and left-handedness can switch.

The foetuses were scanned at four different stages between 24 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. Researchers also asked the mothers of these babies how much stress they had experienced in the four weeks between each of the scans.

The researchers found that the more stress mothers reported, the more frequently foetuses touched their faces with their left hands. They added that a significant number of touches by the foetuses of stressed mothers were done with their left, rather than right hands.

As right-handedness is more common, the researchers had expected to see more of a bias towards right-handed movements in the foetuses as they grew older.

The high percentage of left-handed behaviour, observed when mothers reported being stressed, led them to conclude that maternal stress has an effect on the behaviour of the babies they scanned.

The findings are published in the journal Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition.

Lead author Dr Nadja Reissland, in Durham University’s Department of Psychology, said: “This suggests maternal stress could be having on effect on the child’s behaviour in the womb and highlights the importance of reducing maternal stress in pregnancy.

“Such measures may include increased emphasis on stopping stressful work early, the inclusion of relaxation classes in pre-natal care and involvement of the whole family in the pre-natal period.

“While we observed a higher degree of left-handed behaviour in the foetuses of stressed mothers than had been expected, we are not saying that maternal stress leads to a child becoming left-handed after birth, as there could be a number of reasons for this.

“The research does suggest, however, that a foetus can detect when a mother is stressed.”

Ipsoregulated

This website and associated newspapers adhere to the Independent Press Standards Organisation's Editors' Code of Practice. If you have a complaint about the editorial content which relates to inaccuracy or intrusion, then please contact the editor here. If you are dissatisfied with the response provided you can contact IPSO here